 “Saturday Night Live,” one of America’s most prized possessions of sketch comedy will be entering its 37th season on September 24th. The season premiere will be hosted by Alec Baldwin, which will be his 16th time hosting and will beat the record of most times hosted previously held by former SNL member Steve Martin. With all the players set to come back this season, one has to wonder, what has been the glitch in the SNL formula for the past few years?
Read more on TV Review: “Saturday Night LIVE”…
Categories: Editor, TV/Music Tags: bill hader, Editor, fred armisen, jason sudekis, kenan thompson, Melissa McCarthy, reviews, saturday night live, taran killam, television, tv, tv reviews, vanessa bayer
 Zooey Deschanel
Born: January 17th, 1980
Place: Los Angeles, California
Major Awards and Citations: Chlotrudis Awards (2004): Nominated for Best Actress for ‘All the Real Girls’ Independent Spirit Awards (2004): Nominated for Best Female Lead for ‘All the Real Girls’ Mar del Plata Film Festival (2003): Won Best Actress for ‘All the Real Girls’ Satellite Awards (2009): Nominated for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for ‘(500) Days of Summer’
Oscar Snubs: ‘All the Real Girls’ (2003), ‘Winter Passing’ (2005), ‘The Go-Getter’ (2007), and ‘(500) Days of Summer’ (2009)
Few actresses embody that certain something known as “indie spirit” better than Zooey Deschanel. The pixie-like actress is rarely given the credit that she deserves in the industry, when in reality she’s easily one of the most underrated performers out there today. She’s managed to leave her mark on almost every film that she’s appeared in. If there’s one notable thing to consider about her, it’s how often she seems to shun the spotlight for more quirky supporting roles. This makes her more memorable, but oddly enough lowers her profile. I feel like she’s one big leading role away from the A list, and the heat she received for ‘(500) Days of Summer’ does nothing to dissuade me from that opinion (nor does the fact that she had won the coveted role of playing Janis Joplin in a rather hyped biopic that ultimately fell apart). As you’ll see in this piece, Deschanel has been doing fine work for almost a decade and a half now, and there’s no reason to think that her best days (and work) aren’t still ahead of her come.
Read more on Under the Circuit: Zooey Deschanel…
 A far more intelligent and mellow comedy than the advertisements would lead you to believe, ‘Our Idiot Brother’ is an entertaining comedy with a winning lead performance by Paul Rudd. There’s a bit extra going on here than you’d expect, making for a richer experience than you’d think, though by no means is this flick heavy lifting or anything. Rudd is excellent, the script is warm and effective without every getting too sily, and the direction moves things along at a good pace. This is a great example of what more indie comedies should shoot for when they get put together. It may not have incredibly high expectations of itself, but it puts together a very solid ensemble cast and uses them to their strengths. I won’t go out and say that I loved this film (as there are a couple of things I would have preferred to have seen done differently if I had my druthers), but I did like it quite a bit.
Read more on Our Idiot Brother (***)…
 This week, I’m going to do something a bit rare with my column and highlight two older releases. One actually is my top selection, and though there are some interesting new releases available as well, I chose to propel one of the older ones into the spotlight due to its absolute status as a classic. The film in question for my PICK OF THE WEEK treatment? It’s considered to be by many the greatest film of all time. I don’t go that far, but I won’t argue that it’s not something special. It’s:
Citizen Kane
Orson Welles crafted something truly special with this iconic drama. Film historians can point to its innovative narrative structure, use of deep focus in its photography, and other highlights in praising the debut feature of Welles. For me, it’s a very entertaining classic that features Welles doing some very interesting things. For many, the simple utterance of “rosebud” is enough to bring a smile to their faces. For anyone who’s never seen it, it’s being re-released in a special edition that gives you no excuse not to experience this classic. Go and thank me later…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (9/13/2011)…
Gwyneth Paltrow in Contagion (Warner Bros.)
After actual counts were reported, “Contagion” ruled the box office rankings in a poorly attended weekend, the lowest grossing weekend for the Top 12 films since, interestingly, the same comparable weekend in 2010. Outside of the Top 12 however, two films achieved levels of infamy not seen in years.
CONTAGION
As indicated yesterday, the star-studded viral disaster epic “Contagion” ended the impressive run at the top for “The Help” grossing $22.4 million. With a production budget of $60 million, the Steven Soderbergh directed thriller looks to finish somewhere in the mid-$60 million range with this tracking. Warner Bros. are reportedly accepting of the start, hoping for bigger, but will likely take the success on such a sparsely attended weekend.
Read more on Box Office Final (9/9-9/11/11): “Contagion” Is #1…
Categories: News Tags: Apollo 18, box office report, Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star, Contagion, Crazy Stupid Love, Creature, Final Destination 5, Kevin Hart: Laugh At My Pain, Monte Carlo, Shark Night 3D, The Debt, Warrior
Talented actress/director Sarah Polley disappoints with second film "Take This Waltz"
Sunday was a day of disappointments at the festival. I mean serious letdowns, folks: one from a promising young lady experiencing a sophomore slump, the other a former world-class director who gave us something downright juvenile.
Take This Waltz (**) is the second feature from gifted actress/director/writer Sarah Polley and though she swears it is not autobiographical, she went through a divorce last year, has remarried and is three months pregnant with her first child.
After the masterpiece that was Away from Her (2007), Polley turns her camera on a much younger married couple this time, though no less troubled. Where Away from Her gave us a palpable insight into the love that Grant (Gordon Pinsent) had for Fiona (Julie Christie), not once through Take This Waltz did I ever get a sense of that depth of love and devotion.
Read more on John’s TIFF Diary: Day Four…
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